Well reamer



Now-30, 1937. w. A. ABEGG 2 EEEEEEEE ER Patented Nov. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WELL REAMER Walter A. Abegg, Los Angeles, Calif" assignor to Globe Oil Tools Company, Los Nietos, Calif., a corporation of California Application ctober 2,

' 14 Claims.

This invention relates to a well tool and relates more particularly to a well reamerhaving roller cutters. A general object of this invention is to provide a practical, effective well reamer embodying novel, long wearing bearing means for mounting the roller cutters.

Considerable difficulty is encountered in rotatably supporting the roller cutters of well reamers.

The reamer cutters are subjected to very heavy' thrusts which cause the rapid wearing of the cutter supporting bearings so that the reamers rapidly lose gauge or effective cutting diameter. Roller bearings have been employed to mount reamer cutters, but owing to the necessity of making them very small they have not proven altogether satisfactory. The teeth of the reaming cutters must be of substantial depth to be effective and the provision of the deep teeth in the cutters places a definite limitation upon the diameter of the bearings provided in the cutters, whether they be plain bearings or roller bearings. The bearings for mounting the roller cutters of reamers being small in diameter rapidly wear to permit the rapid decrease in the gauge or effective diameter of the tools.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for rotatably mounting the roller cutters of a well reamer that is very long wearing to maintain the gauge or effective cutting diameter of the reamer for a long period.

Another object of this invention is to provide a well reamer of the character mentioned in which the shafts or pins carrying the roller cutters bear on rotatable rings of large diameter so that the wear on the parts is. distributed over large areas.

Another object of this invention is to provide a reamer of the character mentioned'in which the bearing rings for receiving the thrusts from the cutter pins surround the shank of the reamer to present large and, therefore, long wearing thrust receiving surfaces.

Another object of this invention is to provide a reamer of the character mentioned in which the teeth of the cutters may be of the proper or maximum depth without reducing the dimensions of the bearing parts.

Another object of this invention is to provide a well reamer in which the body or shank is subjected to a minimum of wear due to the rotation of the cutters.

Another object of this invention is to provide a reamer of the character mentioned in which the cutter pins are simple, inexpensive parts.

1936, Serial No.'103,625

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved well reamer of the character mentioned in which the cutters and the'wear receiv ing parts of the bearing means may be easily and quickly-replaced. I

A further object of this invention is to provide a well reamer that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, assemble and recondition.

The various objects and features of my invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description of a typical preferred form and application of the invention, throughout which description reference is made tothe accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal detailed sectional view of the reamer provided by this invention with a portion of the shank in elevation. Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged transverse detailed sectional views taken as indicated by lines 2-4 and 3--3, respectively, on Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is'a transverse, detailed, sectional view taken as indicated by line 4-4 on Fig. 1.

The improved well reamer provided by this invention includes, generally, a body or shank l0, roller cutters II and means 12' for rotatably supporting the cutters H on the shank Ill.

The body or shank I0 is intended to be connected in a rotary well drilling string. In accordance with. the invention the shank l0 may be integral and of simple construction. In practice the shank I0 is generally cylindrical in shape and is provided at its opposite ends 'with means forfacilitating its connection inthe drilling string. In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated the shank I0 has a tapered socket l3 in its upper end to receive a pin of the string and has a threaded pin l4 on its lower end totliread into a socket of the string. Circumferentially spaced ears I5 project laterally or radially-from the shank 10 some distance below its upper end. There are three equally spaced ears I5. The outer ends iii of the ears l5'may be rounded off concentrically with the longitudinal axis of the shank and the sides I! of the ears may be tangential and merge one with the other, as illus- 45 trated in Fig. 2. An annular downwardly facing shoulder 9 is provided on.- the shank ID at the lower sides N3 of the ears l5 and is preferably flat and normal with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shank. The major intermediate por- 5 tion of the shank l0 below the shoulder 9 is cylindrical and may be machined. An annular downwardly facing shoulder [9' is provided on V the shank In some distance above its lower end. The shank I0 is provided with a central longi- 55 g the earth formation. The teeth 2I may be varied in character without departingfrom the invention. In the particular case illustrated the teeth 2| extend axially of the cutters I I and are interrupted by longitudinally spaced annular grooves 22 in the cutters.

In accordance with the invention trunnions or pins 23 project from the upper ends of the cutters I I and similar pins 24 project from the lower ends of the cutters. In practice the pins 23 and 24 may be integral with the cutters I I. The pins 23 and 24 are cylindrical and are concentric with respect to the longitudinal axes. of the cutters. The pins 23 may be somewhatllonger than the pins 24. The reaming cutters II are arranged axially or longitudinally of the shank III and are disposed so that one cutter is centrally positioned below each ear I5. A vertical or axial opening 25 extends upwardly in each ear I5 from its lower surface I8 to receive the pin 23 of the adjacent cutter II. In accordance with the invention the openings 25 receive the pins 23 with substantial clearance and merely serve to center or position the pins 23 and the upper portions of the cutters. The openings 25 receive only the upper portions of the pins 23, the upper ends of the cutters II being spaced some distance below the ears I5. Replaceable discs or thrust bearings 26 are provided in the upper ends of the openings 25 to receive the upward thrusts from the ends of the pins 23. I

The means I2 for rotatably supporting or mounting the cutters II includes a ring 21 surrounding the shank Ill'and bearing upwardly against the shoulder I9. The ring 21 is keyed against rotation on the shank by a key 28 00- operating with grooves or notches 29 in the ring and the shank III. A nut 30 is threaded on the shank III to bear upwardly against the ring 51 and hold it against the shoulder I9. The ring I is provided with outwardly or radially projecting ears 3|. The ears 3I may be identical in cross sectional configuration to the ears I5 and are vertically aligned with the ears I5. Openings 32 are provided in the ears 3I to receive the lower portions of the cutter pins 24. In accordance with the invention the openings 32 receive the pins 24 with substantial clearance so that they are not worn by the pins and merely serve to position and retain the pins and the lower portions of the cutters II. The upper ends 33 of the ears 3I are flat and normal to the longitudinal axis of the shank III.

The cutter mounting means I2 further includes a rotatable bearing ring 34 surrounding the shank ID at the under sides of,the ears I5 and the shoulder 9 and a rotatable bearing ring 35 surrounding the shank I 0 at the upper sides of the ears 3| and the ring 21. The bearing rings 34 and 35 are important elements of the invention. The rings 34 and 35 are provided to receive the heavy radial thrusts from the cutters pins 23 and 24, respectively, to support the cutters II against the inward operating forces. The

bearing rings 34 and 35 are hardened to be long wearing and are freely rotatable on the shank III. The upper ring 34 has a flat upper surface that may bear on the shoulder 9 and the ring 35 has a flat lower surface that may bear on the upper end 33 of the ring 21. The ring 34 is positioned between the shoulder 9 and the upper ends of the cutters I I and the ring 35 is positioned between the lower ends of the cutters II and the ring 21. The rings 34 and 35 are provided with cylindrical peripheries and the cutter pins 23 and 24 have rotative or rolling contact with the rings. The ring 34 is located to be engaged by the exposed portions of the cutter pins 23 and the ring 35 is engaged by the exposed portions of the pins 24.

The bearing rings 34 and 35 may be alike in diameter and are proportioned to support the pins 23 and 24 against inward thrusts or forces so that the pins do not bear on the walls of the openings 25 and 32for the transmission of these forces. The bearing rings 34 and 35 may have some clearance with the shank I0 and are maintained centralized through their cooperation with the circumferentially spaced pins 23 and 24. The

rolling contact of the pins 23and 24 with the rings 34 and 35 causes rotation of the rings with respect to the shank I0. Thus the rings 34 and 35 act as large roller bearings for the pins23 and 24 of the cutters II. It will be observed that the rings 34 and 35 surround the shank ID to have peripheral surfaces of large diameter. The wear resulting from rotation of the cutters II during operation of the reamer is distributed over the large peripheral areas of the bearing rings 34 and 35. The rings 34 and 35 presenting large wear receiving surfaces are very long wearing and support the cutters II in operative positions to maintain the reamer to gauge for a much longer period than the bearings heretofore-employed.

During operation of the reamer the shank I0 connected in the drilling string turns with the string. The cutters II are positioned to haverolling or reaming contactwith the earth formation at the side wall of the well bore. The engagement of the cutters I I with the formation results in rotation of the cutters about their own axes. As described above, the bearing rings 34 and 35 support the cutters II against inward thrusts or forces through their engagement by the cutter pins 23 and 24. The engagement of the rotating pins 23 and 24 with the peripheries of the rings 34 and 35 results in rotation of the rings relative to the shank I 0. As the rings 34 and 35 rotate thcy constantly present new peripheral surfaces for engagement by the cutter pins so that the wear resulting from the engagement of the pins with the rings is evenly distributed throughout the circumferences of the bearing rings. The rings 34 and 35 are large in diameter and the wear is evenly distributed throughout the circumferences of the rings so that the rings are very long wearing. The bearing rings tend to gear the several cutters together preventing the cutters from sliding on the formation and from becoming flattened. The rings 34 and 35 operate to support the cutters II to ream the bore to gauge for a very long period. Upward thrusts on the cutters II are taken by the bearings 26 and the upper ends of the cutters need not contact the ring 34 to interfere with its rotation.

The cutters I I and the various bearing parts may be easily and quickly removed for replacement. Upon the unthreading of the nut III the ring 21 may be slid from the shank III to free the cutters I l and the rings 34 and 35 so that they may be easily disengaged from the shank ill. The shank i and the various other parts of the reamer are extremely simple andinexpensive to manufacture.

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of my invention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any variations or modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art or fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A well reamer including, a shank, roller cutters spaced about the shank, pins projecting from the opposite ends of the cutters, and rotatable rings surrounding the shank and engaging the pins to receive the inward thrusts from the pins.

2. A well reamer including, a shank, .roller cutters spaced about the shank, pins projecting from the opposite ends of the cutters, means receiving the pins to hold the cutters properly positioned, and rotatable rings surrounding the shank and contacting the pins to receive the inward thrusts from the pins.

3. In a well reamer having a shank and roller cutters spaced around the shank, the combination of, a rotatable ring surrounding the shank, and parts on the cutters having thrust transmitting engagement with the ring.

4. In a well reamer having a shank and roller cutters spaced around the shank, the combination of, spaced rotatable bearing rings surrounding the shank, and axially spaced parts on the cutters having thrust transmitting engagement with the rings.

5. In a well reamer havinga shank and roller cutters spaced around the shank, the combination of, spaced rotatable bearing rings surrounding the shank, and axially projecting end parts on the cutters having thrust transmitting engagement with the rings.

6. A well reamer including, a shank, roller cutters, means retaining the cutters in spaced relation about the shank for free rotation, and rotatable bearing rings around the shank having cooperation with the cutters to receive the inward thrusts therefrom.

'7. A well reamer including, a shank having openings, roller cutters, means retaining the cutand bearing rings surrounding the shank for free rotation thereon and having cooperation with the trunnions to receive the inward thrusts therefrom.

9. A well reamer including, a shank, roller cutters, means retaining the cutters in spaced relation about the shank for free rotation, spaced parts on the shank having aligned openings, and

shank and cooperating with the pins to receive.

the inward thrusts therefrom.

10. A well reamer including, a shank, roller cutters, means retaining the cutters in spaced relation about the shank for free rotation, spaced parts on the shank having aligned openings, at least one of said parts being removable to permit the arrangement of the cutters between the parts, means for holding the part against movement on the shank, and pins rigid with the cutters and projectingfrom their ends to freely extend into said openings, and'bearing rings surrounding and rotatable on the shank and cooperating with the pins to support them against inward pressures.

11. A well reamer including, a shank, circumferentially spaced ears on the shank, a member surrounding the shank in spaced relation to the ears, the ears and member having axially aligned openings, spaced roller cutters between the ears and member, pins rigid with the cutters and projecting from their ends to extend into said openings, and bearing rings surrounding and bearing.

on the shank and having their peripheries in cosurrounding the shank in spaced relation to the,

cars, said member being removable from the shank, a part threaded on the shank to hold said member in place, the ears and member having axially aligned openings, spaced roller cutters between the ears and member, pins rigid'with the cutters andprojecting from their ends to extend into said openings, and bearing rings surrounding and carried by the shank and having their" peripheries in cooperation with the pins to receive surrounding the shank in spaced relation to the ears, the ears and member having axially aligned openings, spaced roller cutters between the ears and member, pins rigid with the cutters and projecting from their ends to extend into said openings, said member being removable axially along the shank to allow insertion and removal of the cutters, a nut on the shank locking the member against movement, and rotatable bearing rings around the shank cooperating with the pins to receive the inward thrusts therefrom.

14. A well reamer including a shank having a circumferential series of projecting ears and a cylindrical portion extending axially from said series, a member around the shank in spaced relation to the ears, the ears and member having openings, roller cutters spaced about, the shank, pins rigid with the cutters and extending into said openings, and rotatable bearing rings around the cylindrical portion of the shank cooperating with the pins to receive the inward thrusts therefrom.

| WALTER A. ABEGG. 

